SAFAL TRAINING Administrative PPT .pptx

Training

1. SAFAL Structured Assessment for Analyzing Learning 2024-25 Training of IT Nodal Teachers 1

2. 2 QR Code/ URL to fill Google Form regarding SAFAL Workshop Feedback/ Infrastructure Details Link: https://bit.ly/safal2024

3. Introduction to SAFAL 3 3

4. The National Education Policy 2020 recommends an annual competency-based census assessment in key grades 3, 5 and 8 4 4.40: “To track progress throughout the school years, and not just at the end of Grades 10 and 12 - for the benefit of students, parents, teachers, principals, and the entire schooling system in planning improvements to schools and teaching-learning processes - all students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority. These examinations would test achievement of basic learning outcomes, through assessment of core concepts and knowledge from the national and local curricula, along with relevant higher-order skills and application of knowledge in real-life situations, rather than rote memorization. The Grade 3 examination, in particular, would test basic literacy, numeracy, and other foundational skills. The results of school examinations will be used only for developmental purposes of the school education system , including for public disclosure by schools of their overall (anonymised) student outcomes, and for continuous monitoring and improvement of the schooling system.”   The National Education Policy 2020 recommends an annual census assessment in grades 3, 5 and 8 to monitor progress on core competencies in all school s. Under the head ‘Transforming Assessment for Student Development’, the NEP 2020 states the following:

5. The Structured Assessment for Analysing Learning (SAFAL) is an annual competency based census assessment launched by CBSE 5 SAFAL is a diagnostic assessment to measure the achievement level of students across grades 3, 5 and 8 across core competencies in curricular areas of Language, Mathematics and Environmental Science/Science Student level d ata is anonymised, school level reports of their overall outcomes C onduct assessments for all schools (Govt.+Pvt.) Key F eatures of the SAFAL A ssessment Test core competencies and moves away from rote memorisation Use data for continuous diagnosis and development

6. As per one of the key recommendations of NEP 2020 for conducting Key Stage Assessment at classes 3,5,8 1st digitally conducted large scale assessment of India Census based assessment Students assessed in major subjects Questions based on Competencies Being scaled up with a systematic approach in all ~29000 schools of CBSE Schools in areas with limited internet access can also participate. Internet required only at the time of downloading of QP and uploading of answers by schools Unique Features of SAFAL

7. SAFAL is conducted for 3 subjects through MCQ type of questions Subject Type of questions EVS/Science Objective type Multiple Choice Questions Each question will carry one mark No negative marking Assessment will be offered in the medium of instruction Language Mathematics 7

8. 8 Progress so far and Way forward SAFAL assessment framework developed Assessment questions aligned to the frameworks developed by a select group of CBSE teachers after rigorous training and external review SAFAL Field test conducted in 94 schools to test the new items developed for SAFAL 2024-25 Assessment platform for digital testing developed in collaboration with CDAC, Navi Mumbai and mock trials conducted in 4 schools Mock assessment conducted in 94 schools to assess the platform and items SAFAL pilot conducted in 2023 in 1887 schools and reports disseminated to schools based on data analysis S afal registration completed in 11974 schools S chool’s report for the SAFAL pilot (February 2023 ) released January -September 2021 April-November 2021 January 2021- August 2022 September 2022 February 2023 September 2023 Jan-Feb 2024 March 2024 ONLINE/OFFLINE IT NODAL OFFICER TRAINING AND MOCK TEST April-June 2024 SAFAL Assessment 2024-25 to be conducted in ~12,000 schools July 2024 CYCLE-1 SAFAL 2024-25

9. 2. SAFAL’s Impact on Teaching Learning 9 9

10. SAFAL data would generate classroom level insights that can be used by teachers and school heads to improve learning outcomes by developing classroom level interventions. 10 Use of SAFAL data How can schools and teachers use SAFAL School report cards will identify learning gaps in students. Reports will suggest classroom-level interventions to carry out remedial actions to fill the learning gaps. SAFAL results are NOT to be used to pass/fail students, they are only to be used for diagnostic purposes With SAFAL being conducted annually, schools can use the data to track progress and for continuous development

11. Competency Report Scaled Scores Proficiency Distribution SAFAL Report 11

12. Scaled scores are scores that have been adjusted from the original raw score to fit a consistent scale. Think of it like converting temperatures between Celsius and Fahrenheit. Raw scores are the simple count of how many questions someone got right. For example, if there are 50 questions and a student answers 40 correctly, their raw score is 40. Percent correct is just the raw score converted into percentage, like 40 out of 50 questions would be 80%. Scaled scores , however, take the raw score and adjust it, often to account for differences in test difficulty or to make scores from different tests comparable. It's a way to ensure fairness and consistency across tests or test versions. The proficiency distribution divides student achievement into four levels. It shows the percentage of students in your school/district/state/region/all participating schools in each proficiency level. In the SAFAL assessment framework, under each subject, several competencies are assessed. SAFAL tests each competency across different grade levels: two grades lower, one grade lower, at the grade level, and above the grade level. As a result, multiple questions are linked to each competency, targeting these different levels. The competency table shows the % of students that correctly answered questions of each competency targeted at different grade levels. SAFAL Report Parameters -Interpretation

13. School results (aggregated at national level) from the 2022-23 diagnosis shows that roughly half of the students meet the proficiency standards for SAFAL. 13 The proficiency scales for SAFAL reporting were built in collaboration with psychometrics and assessment experts, and experienced and qualified CBSE affiliated teachers based on best practices and teachers’ understanding of learning benchmarks for students in CBSE affiliated schools Takeaways from results 1. School performance is promising, with more than half the students achieving proficient and above levels, especially given schools closures and learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic II. There is room for improvement, as highlighted by the diagnostic nature of the assessment. The schools can use the diagnostic SAFAL reports to guide their improvement activities

14. 3. Roles and responsibilities of Schools during SAFAL 14 14

15. Functionaries involved in SAFAL Assessment in schools Role Brief Description Responsibilities Centre Superintendent Principal/Vice-principal of the school where the SAFAL Assessment is being done Center Superintendent is responsible for all the essential arrangements such as appointment of invigilators, seat arrangements, allotment of duties, providing all the instructions sheets and collaterals along with students’ roll list) School Facilitators (Invigilators) Schools teachers of non-sampled grade and non-testing subject to invigilate the SAFAL assessment Invigilators role is crucial for the smooth and fair conduct of the assessment, requiring them to be meticulous, vigilant, and attentive. They must strictly maintain invigilation and discipline in the assessment hall/room and follow instructions from the Center Superintendent. Detailed rules and responsibilities are provided for their guidance. 15

16. Functionaries involved in SAFAL Assessments in schools Role Brief Description Responsibilities School Nodal Officer (IT Expert) School IT incharge for operating CBSE SAFAL Assessment Portal in the school Nodal IT office is responsible for ensuring the availability of digital infrastructure, downloading and uploading question papers, facilitating the start of assessments for students, and coordinating with relevant authorities in case of any issues. They are also responsible for maintaining the integrity of the assessment process by adhering to prescribed procedures. 16

17. Nomination of School Staff School head to nominate school staff to invigilate the test. The school staff should be of non-sampled grade and of subjects not being tested. Setup and Testing of Computer Lab School to confirm that the required number of computer systems are functional, as per the specifications provided by Academic Unit, CBSE, and are able to run the SAFAL tool Dissemination of Batch Information to students Batch details can be accessed prior to exam, So , School can inform the students in advance as batch is created randomly from registered students of that grade. Downloading of QP from SAFAL central server School Nodal officer downloads the papers for all the batches before the assessment begins for the first batch Uploading of QP to SAFAL school server School Nodal officer upload the downloaded zip file of QP to school’s local server. 17 Preparatory Tasks for the conduct of SAFAL

18. Conduct of SAFAL Test The test should be enabled only 15 minutes prior to the start of the Test. Ensure a reliable and fair conduct of the SAFAL test, and that there is no malpractice or interference to help the students Invigilation Protocol Under no situation should a student be punished or penalised for any undesirable behaviour. SAFAL is NOT AN EXAMINATION. School staff can only issue warnings when needed. Conduct of Student Questionnaire In Batch 1 on Day 1 ensure that students fill the background questionnaire; school staff to read out the questions for Grade 5, if needed. Clarify doubts as the students fill the student questionnaire Filling Teacher and School Questionnaire Concerned subject teacher to fill and submit the teacher questionnaire. School questionnaire to be filled by the Principal / School head Ending Test on SAFAL Tool Once the batch is over, the school staff to login into the SAFAL portal using the same ID and password, and “END” the test to submit student responses 18 SAFAL Administration

19. Nominate School Staff and IT Coordinator for the Assessment Schools will have to nominate at least 2 school staff members - not from Grade 5 and 8 and teaching subjects part of SAFAL, to conduct the assessment at the classroom level. Additionally an IT coordinator to provide technical support in the computer labs Conduct in all batches School to ensure that the assessment is conducted with students in all batches of Grades 5 and 8 Confidentiality performa School staff members to sign the confidentiality performa Support from the Region In case doubt or confusion, refer to the CBSE RO who would guide the school throughout the process. Any externalities such as delays, system failures etc. should be timely communicated to the CBSE Regional office 19 Key Points for Schools

20. Students of Grade 5 and 8 will take the SAFAL assessment digitally on the SAFAL portal in batches. Batches should be selected in a manner that the timing of selected batches does not overlap with each other. There needs to be a gap of minimum 30 minutes between the end of the last batch and the start of the next batch. For eg. for Grade 8, if the first batch for a school starts at 9:00 AM IST and ends at 10:30 AM IST, then the second batch for this school will start at 11:00 AM IST and end at 12:30 PM IST and the third batch will start at 1:00 PM IST and end at 2:30 PM IST. Students need to sit for the SAFAL Assessment as per the roll list . Only those students whose name is in the roll list can appear for the SAFAL assessment. A school can have a maximum of 3 batches in a day. Sample batch timings are given below. S.No Sample timings for Grade 5 batches (75 mins) Sample timings for Grade 8 batches (90 mins) 1. 9:00 AM - 10:15AM IST 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM IST 2. 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM IST 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM IST 3. 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM IST 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM IST In case a student is absent, his/her allotted seat will remain vacant and no other student should be allowed to take the assessment in his/her place. Things to Note 20

21. School functionaries report to s chool one hour before the first batch Center Superintendent (CS) briefs the staff on the activities of the day Batch 1 enters, school staff takes attendance and assigns students as per the roll list to their seats Students login to SAFAL using unique ID and password and the school staff reads the instructions of the exam School invigilators validates students as per roll list using ID cards School Nodal officer downloads the papers for all the batches before the assessment begins for the first batch and upload it on school server School Nodal Officer reads out test password for students and starts the test Students take assessment and end as per time table CS inspects the room of SAFAL to ensure it is well lit, well ventilated and there is no copying material 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Batch1 exits the hall after they are done with the assessment 10 Steps 5 to 10 repeated for remaining batches 11 21 Sequence of Activities on the day of the SAFAL

22. Certificate of Confidentiality 22 ‘No data from SAFAL system will be disclosed to any person / Organization in any manner. During the assessment photography / Videography of the questions displayed shall be strictly prohibited. School will maintain complete confidentiality during the conduct of SAFAL 2024-25.’ The schools participating in the SAFAL Test 2024-25 are required to submit an undertaking duly signed by the Principal / Head of the School to CBSE SAFAL unit at email : [email protected] Any deviation / violation in this regard will amount to appropriate action as per Affiliation Bye-Laws of the Board.

23. 4. Overview of SAFAL Field Test (March 2024) 23 23

24. Purpose and Objectives: Administrative purpose: To test the modality of implementation, identify possible hurdles and insights for scaling of the assessment. It also helps stakeholders (CBSE regional officials, schools) get acquainted with the assessment modality. Psychometric purpose: To determine whether the newly developed test items perform well or not, before they are used in the main assessment. Mode of administration Digital using the SAFAL platform developed by CDAC Schools Covered 94 English-medium schools Subjects Language (English), Mathematics and Science/EVS Grades Grades 5 and 8 Scope of assessment Only MCQs ranging from grade minus 2 levels to grade level Eg. Grade 5 students will be assessed on key concepts and skills from grades 3, 4 and 5. Grade 5 question papers have 40-45 questions and Grade 8 question papers have 50-60 questions. Each question carries 1 mark. There is no negative marking. Dates of the Pilot: 14 March 2024 - 22 March 2024 24 Overview of SAFAL FT

25. 25 Participating Status of all the CBSE schools from all over the world Out of the total 94 CBSE schools that participated in the SAFAL field test in March 2024, 92 schools were from India and 1 each from Saudi Arabia and UAE.

26. 1 SAFAL is a diagnostic assessment aimed at assessing the achievement of competencies by learners. This is neither a competition nor a qualifying/certification exam . The primary purpose of SAFAL is to diagnose the areas where more efforts are required for quality teaching-learning in the school. 2 As SAFAL is a competency based assessment, no extra class or specific preparation is needed . Classroom teaching that is competency focussed and learner centric is sufficient. 3 Only the school-level Competencies reports will be given to all participating schools. Schools will be able to see only their own report without any comparison with any other school. The school level reports of SAFAL assessments will not be made public and will not be shared with any other school. This will be done to ensure that the results remain confidential and the school is able to extract maximum benefit from the results and feedback provided through the SAFAL reports. 4 SAFAL is a tool for assessment of the teaching-learning practices at schools and should be taken with this spirit only. 5 It is the responsibility of the schools to ensure that the SAFAL assessment is conducted in their schools with utmost sincerity and integrity, as per standard operating procedures, proctored by school authorities. It is also highlighted that the technical foot-prints during this assessment administration will be on record and data-analysis for ruling out any misconduct will be undertaken during result processing . 26 Conduct of SAFAL 2024-25: Key Points

27. 5. Do you have any questions?? 27 27

28. Thank you 28